NC Residents Urge DEQ to Hold a Public Hearing on Enviva’s Hamlet Facility

NC Resident and Dogwood Alliance Board Member JC Woodley Urges NC DEQ to Hold a Public Hearing in Hamlet, NC

Enviva, one of the largest producers of wood pellets in the world, currently produces more than 1 million tons of wood pellets from North Carolina forests each year, and has plans to double this number. An expansion in NC means more logging, more destruction of our native forests, and greater disruption to the lives of NC residents. At stake is health of those living near Enviva’s facilities, where large and fine particulate matter from the wood dust can lead to respiratory impacts, heart disease, and daily irritation.

Across the state, North Carolina residents are calling on NC DENR Division of Air Quality to hold a public hearing on Enviva’s newest proposed facility, in Hamlet, NC. JC Woodley, a former resident of Northampton County (where Enviva operates a wood pellet facility, Sierra Club Cypress Group Executive Committee Member, and Dogwood Alliance Board member weighs in on his concerns for this new facility.

Dear Mr. Godwin:My name is James Curtis Woodley. I am a Board of Director’s member of Dogwood Alliance; and foremost a concerned citizen of North Carolina.

JC Woodley, along with residents of Sampson County, NC, discuss their concerns about the Enviva facility that will be built in their town.

Earlier this year (2015), my colleagues and I had an opportunity to work with Sampson County communities regarding their concerns associated with operations of an Enviva facility in their area. They had done their homework by gathering information about such facilities sited in Northampton and Hertford Counties in North Carolina. Also, they had information on a similar facility in Southampton County Virginia. They articulated the potential negative impacts on their quality of life. Dogwood Alliance has captured some of that information shared at one of the Sampson County community meeting, in which I also attended, in a video. That video is titled Selling Out Sampson County and it can be viewed HERE.

I grew up in Northampton County and traveled through Hertford and Southampton Counties in my youth and still do today. I have seen the devastating impacts from deforestation associated with activities of Enviva-owned facilities and they are undeniable. I have seen and heard the quality of life impacts from a facility such as the one you are forming your decision about and it is saddening.I encourage you to deny the Construction and Operation Permit for an Enviva facility in Hamlet, NC and hold public forums for the concerned citizens of Hamlet and North Carolina to voice their concerns for the following reasons:• The plant would emit significant concentrations of particulate matter into the atmosphere causing negative respiratory impacts on the surrounding communities.• Of those emissions, significant concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) raises concerns regarding enhanced greenhouse gases in the atmosphere further increasing the threat of Global Warming. • The overall quality of life impacts on the residents of Richmond County, NC has not been properly assessed.

Sincerely, James Curtis Woodley.

Send your public comment now to stop Enviva from destroying more wetlands and putting more communities at risk!

Emily blends her love for the beautiful forests of the Southeastern U.S. with an enthusiasm for taking on the corporate interests that threaten our communities and our environment in the name of profit. She is a graduate of UNC Asheville, with BA degrees in Political Science and Sociology, and holds a Masters in International Studies and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from NC State. Emily is an avid hiker and traveler and has explored trails in locations ranging from the Appalachians to the Himalayas to the Amazon.